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2000-05-17 - Plan Commission - Minutes Board or Commission: ❑ Plan Commission Document Type: ❑A e g nda 0 Minutes Meeting ate: 05/17/2000 Type of Meeting: Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Public Hearing-May 17,2000-Page 1 PUBLIC HEARING BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION May 17, 2000 Chabad Synagogue, Proposed synagogue and pre-school Northeast corner of Buffalo Grove Road/Deerfield Parkway,Amendment of a Special Use and Preliminary Plan in the R-3 District and approval of building elevations And materials and conceptual landscape plan Chairman Ottenheimer called the hearing to order at 7:30 p.m. in the Village Council Chambers, Buffalo Grove Municipal Building, 50 Raupp Boulevard, Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Chairman Ottenheimer read the Notice of Public Hearing as published in the Buffalo Grove Daily Herald, explained the procedure to be followed for the public hearing, and swore in all persons who wished to give testimony. Commissioners present: Chairman Ottenheimer Mr. Samuels Mr. Trilling Ms. Dunn Mr. Johnson Mr. Panitch Mr. Smith Commissioner absent: Mr. Feldgreber Also present: Mr. Lawrence Freedman, Ash, Anos, Freedman& Logan Mr. Fred Bernheim, SAS Architects & Planners Mr. Nicholas Patera, Teska Associates Mr. Thomas McCabe, Seton Engineering Mr. Michael Werthman, Kenig, Lindgren, O'Hara Aboona Mr. William Raysa, Village Attorney Mr. William Hendrichs, Village Trustee Mr. Richard Kuenkler, Village Engineer Mr. Robert Pfeil, Village Planner The following exhibits were presented by the petitioner at the public hearing: Exhibit 1: Site Plan dated May 4, 2000 by SAS Architects and Planners Exhibit 2: Building elevations dated May 4, 2000 by SAS Architects and Planners Exhibit 3: Sample board of materials Exhibit 4: Landscape Plan dated May 4, 2000 by SAS Architects and Planners Mr. Freedman noted this property is at the northeast corner of Buffalo Grove Road and Deerfield Parkway and was the subject of an annexation agreement a number of years ago. He stated they are now seeking to amend the Special Use and the Preliminary Plan and seeking approval of the proposed plan. Rabbi Katz stated the synagogue is a fairly small operation with services Saturday morning for about 50-60 participants. Once a month there may be a Friday night service and a few times a year there may be an evening service. Rabbi Katz stated they are currently renting out a facility for high holiday services and do not believe this proposed facility will be used for such services. Rabbi Katz noted the maximum number of people at services at this time is about 60 but they do hope to grow to a maximum of 100-120 people for Saturday services. He further noted they currently have no services on Sundays. Occasionally they have 10-15 people for Sunday services. Rabbi Katz stated they currently have no plans for a Hebrew school operating at this facility. He noted they do have a pre-school, operating five days per week. The hours of operation will be 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There is a morning session from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and an afternoon session from 12:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The maximum number of students in either session will be around 80. Rabbi Katz stated they normally like to have the parents walk with their children into the facility. There are exceptions in bad weather, when they would have staff outside to take children in. Drop off goes from about 8:45 a.m. to 9:10 a.m. and pick up is about 11:25 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. Drop off usually runs about 10-15 minutes before the beginning of the program and also the end of a program. Rabbi Katz stated they expect to have about 16 employees. Rabbi Katz stated they are speaking of the possibility of putting in a basement for storage. In the future they could perhaps put in a library and a teacher lounge in the basement. Mr. Bernheim stated this is a 3.8 acre parcel of land, which is bordered on the south by Deerfield Parkway and on the west by Buffalo Grove Road. Within that acreage they have devised a building consisting of 19,800 square feet. That floor plan takes up a small percentage of the 3.8 acres. There is a multi-purpose room with specific offices for the Rabbi, a conference room, etc. To the north there are six school rooms, each of which will accommodate 20 pupils who are 2, 3 and 4 years of age. There are also offices for teachers, the school director and contains an indoor play area as well as an outdoor play area. The outdoor play area is both to the east and to the north and is fenced by a 5-foot fence. Mr. Bernheim stated they have designed an entrance to the site with appropriate deceleration lanes. The traffic encountered here will never be at peak times on this roadway. The basic design of the building is similar to the Buffalo Grove train station. Mr. Patera stated with the setback of the parking area he has been able to incorporate a year round planting complement at the corners and midpoint to the parking lot and the corner along Buffalo Grove Road and Deerfield Parkway. The objective is to screen the parking lot and the drive lanes so that you can still see over the cars to the building without seeing front headlights and bumpers of the cars parked against the shrub hedge. There is foundation planting around the building and north and east yard perimeter plantings. As you get closer to the building there are landscaped medians in the parking lot to provide relief from the asphalt. At the south side, Mr. Patera stated they have smaller scale trees to provide some shade and as a greeting for visitors. They continue around the west side and there are foundation plantings and a generous paved area for those exiting the building. The perimeter plantings provide visual screening. There are some nice interior open air courtyards that have some ornamental plantings. The east side and north side becomes more informal transitioning out to the open space to the east and north. He further noted that all canopy trees are a minimum size of 2 '/2 inch caliper at time of planting. The ornamental trees are all 8 feet in height. There are a variety of evergreen trees with spruces and white pines at 8 feet in height and numerous shrubs for ground cover and hedge type planting. Mr. McCabe stated the sanitary sewer is currently located north of the property in the rear yard of a single-family residential area and was sized to accommodate this property. The sanitary sewer will come from the proposed building down Buffalo Grove Road and then to the east sanitary sewer manhole. The water is located on the far side of Buffalo Grove Road. He stated they are proposing to auger Buffalo Grove Road and bring the water into the building. Stormwater will all be discharged into the large stormwater management facility immediately to the east through storm sewer pipes to be built in the parking lot and on the perimeter of the building. Mr. McCabe noted the stormwater management facility to the east is not sized large enough for this additional impervious area and they have prepared new calculations that indicate the amount of stormwater detention that is required to meet the Lake County Stormwater Management ordinance. The Village Engineer has reviewed these and is satisfied with the calculations. Mr. McCabe stated the Lake County Department of Transportation has rejected the plans for two entrances and gave criteria for one entrance on Buffalo Grove Road. Those plans have been submitted to Lake County for approval as to the geometry. This includes approval of the location of the entrance, the deceleration lane, the left turn lane and stacking. The County has not as yet had an opportunity to review the plan, however, they expect to receive an answer some time this month. Commissioner Johnson asked if there has been any consideration given to relocating the handicapped parking stalls as indicated in Mr. Pfeil's memo of May 12, 2000. Mr. Bernheim stated they have considered same but have decided not to take the recommendations. He stated they feel that based on the drop off for the kids, which is a daily occurrence, the one handicapped stall at the front of the building will more than suffice for that period of time. When the synagogue or multi-purpose room is in use, there is a secondary entrance from the parking lot right into the multi-purpose room area. They have kept 4 of the 5 stalls right at that entrance and they feel they will be more usable than putting them at the front. That door on the south side of the building will be kept open. Commissioner Johnson asked if there was any consideration when submitted to Lake County, of a wider median cut to the south of the center line of the drive to allow people turning south onto Buffalo Grove Road to have extra room. Mr. Werthmann stated they basically followed Lake County standards and are waiting to hear their comments. He stated they do not foresee big problems with the traffic on Buffalo Grove Road because of the minimal volume of traffic generated by this facility during peak periods. Also, the traffic generated by this facility if out of the peak hour. Classes start at 9:00 a.m. and the morning peak hour is 7:00-8:00 a.m. The classes end at 3:30 p.m. which is well before the peak hour of 5:00-6:00 p.m. He noted this situation is no different at the community center and at Hidden Lakes. Therefore, they feel comfortable with this access drive and that people will be able to get out. In addition there some gaps provided from the traffic signal. Commissioner Dunn noted the basement is optional and asked if the petitioner does not intend to build it now. Mr. Freedman stated they are not certain if they are going to build it now but if they do build it, it will not be used for expansion of the synagogue facility or the school facility. Commissioner Dunn asked if there are any plans to put a mikvah in the basement. Rabbi Katz stated it is not called for in the plan but it is definitely something that might develop in the future. Commissioner Trilling stated he appreciates the landscaping between the parking aisles. However, he suggests breaks in the landscaping to allow passage across the lot. Mr. Patera stated they could leave some spaces and provide some kind of access between so it coincides with parking space gaps. Commissioner Trilling noted they may want to reconsider relocating the handicapped spaces that are on the south side and separating them by putting two at the far east end and two at the far west end. They could be located at the central section, which would then allow people to easily cross through the handicapped spaces into the building. Mr. Bernheim stated they will do that. Commissioner Trilling asked for a review of the special use criteria. Commissioner Trilling asked if the maximum number of people for the synagogue would be 200. Mr. Bernheim stated it would be less than 200 because they need room for pulpits, the ark and the bima. Commissioner Trilling asked if there may be an affair in the sanctuary that would have 200 people while simultaneously something else was going on in the classroom. Mr. Bernheim stated that would never happen. Rabbi Katz also stated nothing takes place in a synagogue during a weekday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. If anything happens it would usually be Friday evening or Saturday morning. Commissioner Trilling asked the traffic consultant if 114 parking spaces would accommodate a use of about 200 adults and 100 children in the facility. Mr. Werthmann stated it would. He stated they usually figure 2.25 to 2.50 people per car and that comes right at the 114-space limit. He further noted there would not be 200 people in the synagogue as it is 3,000 square feet and you cannot put a chair in everywhere. He further noted about 25-30 percent of the people will be walking. Commissioner Samuels asked what type of lighting and hours are planned for the parking lot. Mr. Bernheim stated they will be submitting the photometrics to Mr. Kuenkler. He stated it will all be on the standards accepted by Buffalo Grove. He further noted there will be no lighting on the building itself. The parking lot will be lit merely for the safety and convenience of the user. The maximum height of the poles allowed is 14 or 15 feet. Mr. Pfeil stated in a case such as this where the outdoor lighting plan is not ready at the public hearing stage, the plan should be brought back to the Plan Commission no later than when the plat of subdivision is being reviewed. Commissioner Samuels asked if there will be a ground sign. Mr. Bernheim stated yes. Commissioner Samuels asked if it is a barrier landscaped median between the entrance and exit. Mr. Werthman stated it will not be landscaped but will only be striping delineation. Mr. McCabe stated it will be striped with no possibility of putting any obstructions there. Commissioner Samuels suggested a blacktop for the driveway but a slightly raised concrete. Mr. McCabe stated all of this is subject to the Lake County Department of Transportation as it is in their right-of-way and they must follow their ordinances. Commissioner Samuels asked about restrictions on the drop off and the fact that there be no unattended vehicles left in that lane. Mr. Bernheim stated it is an obligatory move by the parent to turn the motor off and bring the child into the facility. Mr. Freedman stated they have noted they will advise everyone that they cannot leave unattended vehicles in the drop off lane. Commissioner Smith asked if there has been a Village Forester report on the property. Mr. Pfeil stated he received a report from Mr. Rigsby. He noted additional landscaping will be required to supplement existing trees, which will provide an adequate landscape buffer to the residential area to the north. A complete set of working landscaping drawings will be required for review and approval. Commissioner Smith stated he wanted to be sure you could not turn left into the drop off lane once you turn into the site. Mr. Freedman stated that was correct. He noted that would be governed by signage. Mr. Freedman reviewed the special use criteria noting the following: 1. They have demonstrated a very moderate level of intensity on a site of this size, the proposed use, and hours of operation and the landscape screening to ensure that this will not be detrimental or endanger public health, safety, morals, etc. and will probably enhance them and be a positive factor. 2. This site is located at the intersection of two thoroughfares within a residential district. Due to the size of the operation and size of the property, this will be highly compatible with such a district. 3. This type of special use was contemplated to be generally compatible with an R-3 or other residential district. You normally find churches or synagogues within residential districts in most ordinances. 4. The nature, location and size of the buildings with the establishment of the special use will not impede, substantially hinder, or discourage the development and use of adjacent land and buildings in accord with the zoning district within which they lie. This has been covered by all of the above factors. 5. All adequate utilities, access roads, drainage and other necessary facilities have been and will be provided. 6. The plan has been noted to address the concerns relative to access drives, parking spaces etc. to comply with this portion of the special use criteria. Mr. Raysa asked if this building is to be used by anyone else for other functions. Mr. Freedman stated no. Mr. Raysa asked what the purpose of the kitchen would be. Mr. Freedman stated the kitchen would be for minimal warming of food and other activities in conjunction with the synagogue operation and school snacks. It is not intended as a full service operation. Mr. Jerry Goldman, 1203 Westchester Ct., stated he and his neighbors would welcome this facility on the property. He stated they had originally objected only to a school facility on this site, not a pre-school. He also asked that as much as possible of the mature landscaping be preserved. He also asked that the drainage into the water retention facility be sufficient for this site. Lastly, he noted that traffic is a concern as it is very bad even at non-peak hours. He stated making a left turn in or out of this facility will be difficult. Mr. Kuenkler stated the water retention facility will be widened along the east boundary of this property. There being no further comments or questions from anyone else present, Chairman Ottenheimer closed the public hearing at 8:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Fay Rubin, Recording Secretary APPROVED: LESTER OTTENHEIMER, Chair Board or Commission: ❑ Plan Commission Document Type: 0 A e g nda 0 Minutes Meeting ate: 05/17/2000 Type of Meeting: ❑ Regular Meeting Buffalo Grove Plan Commission-Regular Meeting-May 17,2000-Page 6 REGULAR MEETING BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION May 17, 2000 Chabad Synagogue, Proposed synagogue and pre-school Northeast corner of Buffalo Grove Road/Deerfield Parkway,Amendment of a Special Use and Preliminary Plan in the $-3 District and approval of building elevations And materials and conceptual landscape plan Christopher Walsh, Proposed five-lot subdivision, 23226 Main Street (north side of Park Avenue), Prairie View,Annexation With zoning in the R-4 District and approval of a Preliminary Plan—Workshop #1 Chairman Ottenheimer called the meeting to order at 8:30 p.m. in the Village Council Chambers, Buffalo Grove Municipal Building, 50 Raupp Boulevard, Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Commissioners present: Chairman Ottenheimer Mr. Samuels Mr. Trilling Ms. Dunn Mr. Johnson Mr. Panitch Mr. Smith Commissioners absent: Mr. Feldgreber Also present: Mr. Lawrence Freedman, Ash, Anos, Freedman& Logan Mr. Fred Bernheim, SAS Architects & Planners Mr. Nicholas Patera, Teska Associates Mr. Thomas McCabe, Seton Engineering Mr. Michael Werthmann, Kenig, Lindgren, O'Hara Aboona Mr. William Raysa, Village Attorney Mr. William Hendrichs, Village Trustee Mr. Richard Kuenkler, Village Engineer Mr. Robert Pfeil, Village Planner APPROVAL OF MINUTES—None COMMITTEE AND LIAISON REPORTS Commissioner Dunn attended the Village Board meeting on May 15, 2000 and stated there was a resolution commending Stephen Goldspiel on his service to the Commission. In addition, the following items were discussed: 1. Update on the redevelopment of the Plaza Verde Shopping Center. The center is 43 percent leased and Walgreens will begin construction within one month. At Plaza Verde West, 54 percent is leased. 2. Buffalo Grove Town Center has a new owner and is 80 percent leased and the owner is local. 3. Discussion of a proposal for a CVS drive through pharmacy at the corner of Dundee and Buffalo Grove Roads. The petitioner decided to come back at a future date. CHABAD SYNAGOGUE, PROPOSED SYNAGOGUE AND PRE-SCHOOL NORTHEAST CORNER OF BUFFALO GROVE ROAD/DEERFIELD PARKWAY, AMENDMENT OF A SPECIAL USE AND PRELIMINARY PLAN IN THE R-3 DISTRICT AND APPROVAL OF BUILDING ELEVATIONS AND MATERIALS AND CONCEPTUAL LANDSCAPE PLAN Moved by Commissioner Samuels, seconded by Commissioner Johnson to recommend approval to the Village Board of the petition for a Preliminary Plan and Special Use for a synagogue and pre-school in the R-3 District so that the petitioner may construct a one-story building with a floor area of 24,800 square feet, pursuant to testimony at the public hearing and documents submitted in support thereof and subject to: I. Final engineering 2. Approval of parking lot lighting 3. Final approval of landscaping and Village Forester's review 4. Approval of Lake County Department of Transportation Commissioner Trilling stated he gives his support to this project as it is consistent with the special use criteria and it is a welcome addition to the Village. Commissioner Johnson stated he wholeheartedly supports this project noting it is a wonderful facility and great addition to the area in addition to meeting all of the criteria. It adds a great point of focus to the community. Commissioner Samuels stated he also supports the project, noting especially the fact that the primary use of the facility is staged so that it does not coincide with peak periods of traffic. This is probably the least intensive use that can be consistent with this property and the petitioner has done a very thorough job in preparation and in their presentation. Chairman Ottenheimer called for a vote on the motion and the vote was as follows: AYES: Ottenheimer, Samuels, Trilling, Dunn, Johnson, Panitch, Smith, NAPES: None ABSENT: Feldgreber ABSTAIN: None The motion passed 7 to 0. CHRISTOPHER WALSH, PROPOSED FIVE-LOT SUBDIVISION, 23226 MAIN STREET (NORTH SIDE OF PARK AVENUE), PRAIRIE VIEW, ANNEXATION WITH ZONING IN THE R-4 DISTRICT AND APPROVAL OF A PRELIMINARY PLAN—WORKSHOP#1 Mr. Walsh stated he is proposing annexation of this parcel and to keep the existing home on the corner and create four additional lots. There will be some improvements by the Village such as a sidewalk along Main Street, extension of the main water line to a property north and a sanitary sewer. Chairman Ottenheimer asked how many lots are proposed. Mr. Walsh stated there would be five lots. The four smaller lots will be 10,500 square feet. The lot with the existing home would end up being about 14,800 square feet. Mr. Walsh stated he is requesting R-4 District. He noted they would fit into the R-3 District with variations. However, in the R-4 District no variations would be required. He stated this is a unique area and it requires some unique ideas and thoughts. Chairman Ottenheimer asked if this parcel would be feasible if developed as only four lots. Mr. Walsh stated no. He noted that with the improvements that are required, the financial aspect would not allow for only four lots. Commissioner Trilling stated he would like to see a map or aerial photo so that he could see what is going on in the area at this time. He asked if discussions had been pursued regarding the 1.7 acres to the north of this parcel, which is for sale. Mr. Walsh stated yes, but that nothing was accomplished. Commissioner Trilling noted that knowing there is 1.7 acres to the north, it would be reasonable to try to keep things consistent. He stated he does not want to do something on this parcel now and find some possible choices for the betterment of the whole area have been eliminated. Mr. Walsh stated he has spoken to Mr. Kuenkler and he would like to work something out where the sanitary sewer will be of some use to the next person. This is why it will be extended to the edge of their property. Commissioner Trilling asked if there would be any road improvements necessary. Mr. Pfeil stated street lighting is probably the only thing that would need to be added. There is already a sidewalk on the north side. There would be no new developer obligations. Commissioner Trilling asked what the developer's opinion was on the future development for the area. Mr. Walsh stated he envisions something similar to the Town & Country, Centennial Crossing, turn of the century style homes. People will still want a garage, but there are ways to address that issue. There should be front porches and possibly even closer to the street. Commissioner Trilling asked for a footprint of the home for the next meeting and how it would be compatible with the lot itself as proposed and what the elevations may look like. Commissioner Samuels asked if the access to the 1.7-acre parcel to the north must be off of Main Street exclusively. Mr. Walsh stated he has looked at cul-de-sac designs and it appears that five lots can be platted on a standard cul-de-sac. Commissioner Samuels stated he would like to see that before it is locked off of Park. Commissioner Samuels stated he does not see doing this development as an R-4 unless the whole piece were taken into account and possibly something done that was consistent within that piece. He noted it would be possible to have free standing or semi attached garages with the creation of an alleyway. Commissioner Samuels asked if the corner lot meets all the setback requirements. Mr. Walsh stated he would have to get an exact survey, but it seems to be very close to meeting the requirements. Commissioner Johnson stated he does not feel R-4 zoning is appropriate in this area. It backs up to an R-2 zone with an R-3 zone across the street, each of which has oversized lots. To configure this parcel to have five lots meeting, but not exceeding the width requirements for the R-4 zone is putting too many lots in a small area and is inconsistent with the surrounding area. As such he would not approve it. Mr. Walsh stated his original intent was to come in as R-3 with a variance. The lots do meet the R-3 zoning. All he would be asking if he were to go R-3 would be 10 feet on the lots. Commissioner Johnson stated it is not just 10 feet because it is 10 feet per house. He noted that it meets the square footage for the R-3 District which is 10,000 square feet. However, this would be putting too much into the streetscape and it is too dissimilar to the surroundings. Commissioner Panitch asked what the real intention is for these lots since the developer had mentioned he might not build on them. Mr. Walsh stated his intent would be to design the houses and hopefully build them, but he cannot guarantee that whoever does buy them would have him design them. That is why he is open to having design restrictions, which could be enforced on these lots and would keep the character of the area. Commissioner Samuels stated he would like to see what the entire piece would look like as a cul-de-sac off of Park. He asked about stormwater management. Mr. Pfeil stated Mr. Kuenkler is reviewing concepts concerning stormwater management for this area. It may be feasible to have both properties drain overland to the nearest inlet, but this needs to be confirmed with engineering plans. Chairman Ottenheimer noted he senses a general consensus that five lots is too many and that it really should be R-3 and not R-4. For the next workshop the following items are necessary: 1. Sample footprints 2. Proposed elevations 3. Possible site plan 4. Engineering and stormwater issues, if proceeding forward Commissioner Smith stated he does not see proceeding with this process if the Commission agrees that five lots are too many and the petitioner states he cannot develop it with less. Chairman Ottenheimer noted there is a general consensus and if four lots cannot be done, the odds are against the petitioner. Commissioner Samuels stated if he saw an integrated plan that proposes a P.U.D., he can see this piece having its own identify, especially if it is pulled off of Park and done as a villa, empty nester situation or a zero lot line where there are common areas. However, he agrees that the strip along Park Avenue does not work Commissioner Johnson stated the proposal that has been presented will not work. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT Chairman Ottenheimer said he would like to discuss some concepts to enhance the Plan Commission review process and streamline the discussion at meetings. One idea is to have various areas identified for discussion and have each Commissioner take a topic and discuss it thoroughly. This may make the "question and answer" process more efficient when specific projects are reviewed. It would also provide more guidance to the developer concerning thorough preparation of plans and presentations. Receiving more input from the Village trustees would be very helpful in the Commission's review process. He noted that the Commission for Residents with Disabilities (CRD) has requested that they become more involved in the Plan Commission's review process, especially concerning handicapped accessibility and related ADA issues. Mr. Pfeil said the Commissions for Residents with Disabilities have received packets in the past, and this procedure will be started again. He noted the CDR wants to provide more input early in the site planning process, when their comments and suggestions can be more easily incorporated in the plans. FUTURE AGENDA SCHEDULE Mr. Pfeil stated the next meeting would be held on June 7, 2000. PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS—None STAFF REPORT -None NEW BUSINESS—None ADJOURNMENT Moved by Commissioner Johnson, seconded by Commissioner Smith and carried unanimously to adjourn. Chairman Ottenheimer adjourned the meeting at 9:24 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Fay Rubin, Recording Secretary APPROVED BY: LESTER OTTENHEIMER, Chair